1. Field
The present invention relates to a standup exercise apparatus that simulates walking, jogging and climbing with arm exercise. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exercise machine having separately supported pedals for the feet and arm exercise coordinated with the motion of the feet.
2. State of the Art
The benefits of regular exercise to improve overall health, appearance and longevity are well documented in the literature. For exercise enthusiasts the search continues for safe apparatus that provides full body exercise for maximum benefit in minimum time.
Recently, a new category of exercise equipment has appeared on the commercial market called elliptical cross trainers. These cross trainers guide the feet along a generally elliptical shaped curve to simulate the motions of jogging and climbing. Generally they use long cranks to generate a long foot stride having excessive pedal articulation. There is a need for an elliptical exercise machine capable of a similar long stride using a linkage to modify a shorter crank.
Standup pedal exercise combined with arm levers attached to the pedals is shown in Kummerlin et al. German Pat. No. 2,919,494 and in Geschwender U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,050. Standup pedal exercise coupled with oscillating swing arms is shown in Miller U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,242,343 and 5,383,829 and in Eschenbach U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,729. All of these exercise machines use pedals having two pedal pivots which are guided by a first circular guide path curve generated by a crank which rotates through one full revolution during a pedal cycle and a second arc guide path curve generated by a rocker link or track.
Eschenbach in U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,610 shows the use of cam tracks in a front drive elliptical design. Several rear drive elliptical cross trainers are shown by Eschenbach in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,042,512 and 6,361,476. Rosenow in U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,486 and Arnold et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,321 show typical commercial rear drive elliptical cross trainers in use today.
Dalebout et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,710 shows a stroke rail slidably attached to a frame to generate an elliptical pedal path. Rosenow in U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,486 shows a cam as part of a crank to raise and lower a foot support member for an elliptical cross trainer.
There is a need for a pedal operated exercise machine that can be safely operated in the standup position whereby the arms and legs can be exercised with the feet moving through a generally elliptical movement without excessive pedal articulation. There is also a need to adjust the stride length while maintaining less pedal articulation.
It is one objective of this invention to provide an elliptical pedal movement with a path generating linkage that provides a long stride with less pedal articulation. Excessive pedal articulation causes ankle stress. Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable stride.